Ohtani hits 2 HRs hours after TJ recommendation

Shohei Ohtani has sustained what the Los Angeles Angels described as “new damage” on the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow, prompting the organization’s physicians to recommend Tommy John surgery that would keep the 24-year-old two-way sensation off the mound until 2020.

The final decision rests with Ohtani, but the Angels have prepared themselves for what now seems like an inevitability. Angels general manager Billy Eppler called the news “disappointing” during a conference call with the media on Wednesday and reflected on his time getting to know Ohtani.

Just hours before Ohtani hit two home runs against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Eppler thought back to his scouting trips to Japan when Ohtani was a high school phenom, and he thought back to his conversations with Ohtani in December, when the Angels beat out basically every major league team by becoming his preferred destination.

“He made a commitment to us, and he trusted us,” Eppler said. “He trusted that we would use him in a two-way role, and we made that commitment. When you commit to